The change, which came in more than 70 years after the character was first introduced, meant his two marriages and son were written out of his new story, where he is now shown to have had a boyfriend as a teenager.

British writer James Robinson, said: "He's very much the character he was. He's still the pinnacle of bravery and idealism. He's also gay.

"I hope he's a positive figure. If there's some kind of kid out there who's reading the comic and who's worried about the person he is, maybe it will give him a positive sense of who he is.

“Or maybe a different kid will read it and decide I don't need to bully some kind of kid in school."